A Matter of Time
by wikelia
Summary: Modern AU. Growing up rich, Astrid Hofferson has been forced to attend many boring dinner parties. The only thing that makes them bearable is her friend Hiccup. Maybe he even makes her enjoy them. Oneshot.


**Important A/N!**

 **School has started for me! I have two free periods for the first half of the year, and then none for the second, which sucks. I know I've been horrible about updating (Here Comes the Groom is crying in the corner), but I want to get back on track now. So yes, I will update all of my stories, especially I Knew You Were Trouble, seeing as how that one is the one people like the most. I hope this oneshot suffices for now.**

 **Also, I wanted to maybe write some other ships, primarily Peraltiago (Brooklyn Nine Nine) and Zutara (Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I just watched and loved). Let me know what you think!**

"Astrid, the theme was ocean blue, and you're wearing teal." Mrs. Hofferson shook her head at her nine year old daughter. "I knew we should have gone shopping two days ago, but your father is completely useless."

"You could have gone yourself," her father said calmly, leaning back in his chair and winking at Astrid.

"Absolutely not. Then Astrid would just run off. She stays when you're there."

Little nine year old Astrid Hofferson was maybe a little upset that her mother didn't coo over how cute she looked like she had seen other mothers do. But she was more hungry than anything. While her parents bickered, Astrid slipped off her chair and ran towards the buffet, intent on stealing a pastry before the event started.

She would have succeeded too, if she hadn't collided with a boy who looked her own age and topped to the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" she snapped. The boy mumbled an apology and looked down, and it was his downcast eyes that made her recognize him.

It was Hiccup, Stoick Haddock's son. He never played with the rest of them, although it wasn't like they invited him to either. When his mom had been around, he would simply go to her and stay there until the party was over. But now she wasn't around anymore, and Stoick didn't like it when Hiccup hid from the other kids, so he would stay in a corner, looking miserable as everyone else played tag.

Now he looked up at her (she realized, with satisfaction, that she was a good few inches taller than him) and offered her a muffin he had been holding. "Want one?"

Astrid decided that it would be enough of an apology for knocking her over.

"You're hungry too, aren't you?" she asked as she munched. "That's why you stole from the table. I was gonna do that too."

"Yeah." Hiccup grinned lightly, with a faint blush. "If we don't steal some now, then the whole party will be disrupted when our stomachs rumble. It'll interrupt the boring man's speech."

Astrid then decided that her and Hiccup were friends now. A muffin and a shared hatred of the boring man was good enough for her. So they kept talking. Iron Man was his favorite Avenger too!

They had stolen about a dozen muffins and twice as many cookies before their parents found them. After the speech and dinner, when the adults finally talked to each other, the children were allowed to play in the hall.

Astrid made sure that Hiccup played with them. He was her friend now, after all.

* * *

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Mom - Mother," Astrid corrected herself when her mother gave her a cold look, "vermilion and scarlet aren't that much of a difference. You overreact so much."

"You are going to be ridiculed," her mother sniffed, crossing her arms, "people are going to laugh."

Astrid didn't really care to hear any more gibberish, so she turned on her heel and walked towards the buffet. She was twenty - she really didn't need to be scolded like this. A small part of her admired that Mrs. Hofferson had such a keen eye that she could point out the difference in shades, but for Thor's sake, they were all red. Or orange. Same difference.

In her rush, she collided into someone's chest, and when she saw who it was, immediately pulled his hand towards the kitchen.

"There are muffins on the table, you know," Hiccup stated wryly, and she didn't need to look at him to know he was grinning.

"Too many people there. Besides, I don't think we can exactly kiss at the buffet table."

Hiccup snorted as she dragged him into the empty-for-now kitchen, swiping a cookie off a tray and offering it to her. "My dad would be thrilled, Astrid."

"Well, I'm not an exhibitionist." She ate the cookie quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So forget it."

His eyes lit up, and he leaned down to kiss her. "Gladly."

Hiccup's mouth moving so well against her own was just one of the perks of her bumping into him when she was nine. He made the parties quite enjoyable.


End file.
